The cost of energy produced by flow energy extraction and conversion devices is directly proportional to their capital cost and inversely proportional to their performance. A means to reduce energy cost is thereby to reduce a system's capital cost, increase its performance, or do both. It is possible to reduce the capital cost and/or enhance performance of a system when several useful and/or required functions, normally necessitating discrete, separate and dedicated components or sub-assemblies, can be carried out by a single structural entity.
An example of this is illustrated by the TARP system toroid body. This single structure is designed to provide not only a means for supporting and shielding impellers in its peripheral flow channel, but simultaneously said structure provides a housing function means internally under applications as well as performance enhancing flow augmentation means to its impellers. Similarly, the present invention as part of the TARP system, provides multiple function service to accomodate reduced capital cost requirements as well as provide performance enhancement to improve cost of energy.
The device connecting an impeller, for example horizontal axis rotor, within the TARP peripheral channel to the TARP flow augmentor body and yaw track means is designed to provide not only effective support for a rotor within the flow channel, but it is simultaneously designed to aid rotor yaw response to flow directional changes, provide enhanced yaw stability and control via thrust differentiation between each rotor system of a TARP's interconnected twin rotor system and furthermore to provide peripheral TARP flow channeling means to enhance performance of the system.
The latter invention is henceforth designated as multi-functional TARP rotor strut vanes.